Server based gaming system and method for selectively providing one or more different tournaments

• US 8,070,583 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Schneider, Richard J., Iddings, Cara L., Manfredi, Vince, MacVittie, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay Trent
• Application Number:
  US11/830,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20080070680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3283 wherein the number of active machines is limited

Abstract

A gaming system includes a central server or controller operable to communicate a plurality of different commands to a plurality of gaming machines to provide non-tournament game play and to provide tournament game play on the same gaming machines.

Claims

1. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each of the first plurality of players using one of the gaming machines;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each of the second plurality of players using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, during the first round of the tournament, enable each of the first plurality of players and each of the second plurality of players to play a plurality of tournament games, wherein, for each of the second plurality of players, the plurality of tournament games played by said player are configured such that said player has a substantially same chance of winning the tournament as each of the first plurality of players;

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each play of each of said tournament games, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, at an end of the tournament, determine a tournament winner based on the displayed tournament game outcomes; and

(g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of an award to be provided to the determined tournament winner.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine player qualification for said tournament based on at least one selected from the group consisting of a player card level, a location of one of the gaming machines, a wager amount, a placement of a side wager, an amount won, a jackpot win, a bonus win, a player tracking rank, and a win from another tournament.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes, for each round of the tournament, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine at least one round winner for said round based on the displayed tournament game outcomes of said round, wherein said round winner is in addition to the tournament winner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of players and the second plurality of players have different qualifications for the tournament.

5. The method of claim 1, which is provided through a data network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data network is an internet.

7. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each of the first plurality of players using one of the gaming machines;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each of the second plurality of players using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to provide the second plurality of players an advantage in the tournament, wherein the advantage is configured such that each of the second plurality of players has a substantially same chance of winning the tournament as each of the first plurality of players;

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines and at least one input device to, during the first round of the tournament, for each of the first and second pluralities of players, receive a wager from said player for at least one play of one of a plurality of tournament games;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each said tournament game played, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes;

(g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each of the players, for each play of each of the tournament games, if a winning tournament game outcome is displayed to said player provide said player an award for said winning tournament game outcome based on said player'"'"'s wager for said play of the tournament game;

(h) at an end of the tournament, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a tournament winner based on the awards provided to the players; and

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of a tournament award to be provided to the determined tournament winner, the tournament award being in addition to any other awards provided to the tournament winner.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the advantage includes weighting the wagers of each of the second plurality of players more than the wagers of each of the first plurality of players.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the advantage includes providing the second plurality of players a different number of winning combinations than the first plurality of players.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the advantage includes providing the second plurality of players a different tournament paytable than the first plurality of players.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the advantage includes providing the second plurality of players a multiplier.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the advantage includes providing the second plurality of players a bonus game opportunity.

13. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine player qualification for the tournament based on at least one selected from the group consisting of a player card level, a location of one of the gaming machines, a wager amount, a placement of a side wager, an amount won, a jackpot win, a bonus win, a player tracking rank, and a win from another tournament.

14. The method of claim 7, which includes, for each round, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine at least one round winner for said round based on the provided awards of said round, wherein said round winner is in addition to the tournament winner.

15. The method of claim 7, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to additionally provide tournament credits for winning tournament game outcomes.

16. The method of claim 7, which is provided through a data network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data network is an internet.

18. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each of the first plurality of players using one of the gaming machines;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each of the second plurality of players using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, during the first round of the tournament, enable each of the first plurality of players and each of the second plurality of players to play a plurality of tournament games, wherein at least one of the tournament games played by each of the second plurality of players includes a feature that is different than a feature of at least one of the tournament games played by each of the first plurality of players, each different feature of the tournament games played by the second plurality of players being configured such that each of the second plurality of players has a substantially same chance of winning the tournament as each of the first plurality of players;

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each play of each of said tournament games, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, at an end of the tournament, determine a tournament winner based on the displayed tournament game outcomes; and

(g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of an award to be provided to the determined tournament winner.

19. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to group the players by wager denominations.

20. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine player qualification for the tournament based on at least one selected from the group consisting of a player card level, a location of one of the gaming machines, a wager amount, a placement of a side wager, an amount won, a jackpot win, a bonus win, a player tracking rank, and a win from another tournament.

21. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each round of the tournament, determine at least one round winner after said round based on the displayed tournament game outcomes of said round, wherein said round winner is in addition to the tournament winner.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the different feature of at least one of the tournament games played by at least one of the second plurality of players includes providing extra wild symbols to the at least one player of the second plurality of players.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the different feature of at least one of the tournament games played by at least one of the second plurality of players includes providing scatter pays to the at least one player of the second plurality of players.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the different feature of at least one of the tournament games played by at least one of the second plurality of players includes providing multipliers to the at least one player of the second plurality of players.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the different feature of at least one of the tournament games played by at least one of the second plurality of players includes providing paytable to the at least one player of the second plurality of players that is different than a paytable provided to at least one of the players of the first plurality of players.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the different feature of at least one of the tournament games played by at least one of the second plurality of players includes providing faster play to the at least one player of the second plurality of players.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the different feature of at least one of the tournament games played by at least one of the second plurality of players includes providing extra paylines to the at least one player of the second plurality of players.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the different feature of at least one of the tournament games played by at least one of the second plurality of players includes providing at least one extra reel to the at least one player of the second plurality of players.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the second plurality of players have different qualifications for the tournament than the first plurality of players.

30. The method of claim 18, which is provided through a data network.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the data network is an internet.

32. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each player using one of the gaming machines;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each player using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time, wherein a feature of the first round of the tournament for the second plurality of players is different than a feature of the first round of the tournament for the first plurality of players, wherein the feature includes providing extra winning combinations to the second plurality of players;

(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, during the tournament, enable each of the first plurality of players and each of the second plurality of players to play a plurality of tournament games;

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each said tournament game played, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes;

(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes;

(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, at an end of the tournament, determine a tournament winner based on the displayed tournament game outcomes; and

(g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display an indication of an award to be provided to the determined tournament winner.